Blockbuster has NBA tongues wagging

BOSTON -- Word of Jason Kidd's impending trade to the Mavericks was the topic of conversation across the NBA last night, as players, coaches and anyone associated with the league discussed the third major deal of the league's trading season, one which sent Kidd back to his original team.

Most people thought the trade, in which Kidd and Malik Allen were provisionally sent to Dallas for Devin Harris, DeSagana Diop, Devean George, Jerry Stackhouse, cash and draft picks, was good for both teams. But one astute observer noted that Rod Thorn kept up his reputation for making yet another remarkable deal.

"Once again, Rod Thorn continues to amaze," former Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy said. "I think he really made a terrific deal for the Nets. Obviously, Jason Kidd is a great player, but he said he wanted out and so you're going to have to change the core of that team. But Rod brought back a quality young point guard, a solid big man in Diop, and he clears out cap room. He did it again."

Here in Boston, two Atlantic Division teams faced off against one another, and at least one was happy at the prospect that Kidd would no longer be tormenting him four times a year. Isiah Thomas said before the Knicks played the Celtics that Kidd moving to Texas is good for him.

"He's probably one of the hardest players I've had to coach against," Thomas said. "When I was at Indiana, and even here in New York, he just always found a way to beat the team that I was coaching. If he's leaving, that's a good thing."

Thomas's counterpart with the Celtics, Doc Rivers, didn't see the deal coming, but said the Nets would be in good shape with Harris taking over at the point.

"I'm surprised, honestly," Rivers said. "They started playing better and I made the comment (Tuesday), 'Oh, it looks like they're not going to make a move.' It's a good trade for both teams. The Nets are getting younger, Devin Harris is going to be a terrific player, and I like Diop, too. And Dallas is saying they want to win now, clearly."

Brian Scalabrine, who played four years with Kidd on the Nets, raved about the deal from Dallas' perspective, not because the Nets got robbed, but because he believes Kidd will take a very good team and make them potentially great. But like everyone else, he thinks the Nets did well for themselves by acquiring the best possible deal.

"I think J-Kidd is going to make Dallas so much better," Scalabrine said. "And I think Jersey needed to go in another direction, getting out of his contract and getting a great young player in Devin Harris. I'm really happy for Jason, though. The personnel didn't mesh with him as well as Dallas does. Now Jason is competing at the highest level trying to win an NBA
championship. At the end of the day, I think that's what he really wanted."

Now that it appears Kidd is gone, the Nets will have to find a way to move on without him, knowing that they had never been title contenders in the NBA before he arrived in 2001.

"Richard (Jefferson) and Vince (Carter) are probably going to have to step up, and maybe they'll run more plays through those guys," Scalabrine said. "I believe both of those guys are really good players, so with Jason out of there, it gives them a chance to excel."

Knicks forward Quentin Richardson works out regularly with Harris in his hometown of Chicago over the summer, and spoke very highly of Harris as both a person and a player. Harris is from nearby Milwaukee.

"Any time anyone can pick up Jason Kidd, that's a huge deal for them," Richardson said. "He's got a West Coast-style game anyway. He plays up and down and they've got weapons over there. He's definitely going to make (Dallas) a lot better and more of a threat."